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Advisory Board

FERRUH GURTAS

Corporate Affairs Director – Middle East Turkey and Africa

Intel Corporation

Ferruh Gurtas is the Corporate Affairs Director at Intel leading the regional team for Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) since 2006. In this role he from government affairs, education, entrepreneurship and CSR programs in the region. In 2011 I took on additional worldwide responsibility as WEF (World Economic Forum) Partnership Manager in charge of Intel’s engagement with WEF around the world including participation to Davos Annual event. He represented Intel Corporation at global entrepreneurship and education programs of US State Department and at Entrepreneurship Advisory Group of WEF for MENA region. Recently he was involved in creation and launch of entrepreneurship program in Turkey and Jordan which are expanded to Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE. He is also acting as a “Coaching Champion” at Intel since 2009 promoting coaching within managers as well as coaching individual contributors across META region. He completed 40 hours of internal coaching trainings on coaching skills and excellence and 120 hour of external coaching trainings on CTI Coactive Coaching model.

Ferruh Gurtas has a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Middle East Technical University, Turkey and MSc degree in Communications and Signal Processing from Imperial College, London. After working as a software engineer at Nortel in telecommunications sector, he joined Intel Corporation in 1997 and has taken various roles in different countries in sales, marketing, business development and operations before taking on the Corporate Affairs Director role.

Ferruh lived 3 years in UAE and 3 years in UK and currently is based out of Istanbul, Turkey. Besides work, he enjoys travelling, reading books and doing various sports like football, tennis, golf, horseback riding and Bikram Yoga.

YALCIN AYAYDIN

Yalçın Ayaydın was born in Mardin. After finishing Primary School and Lycee he went to İstanbul to attend university. He graduated from the School of Economics and Administrative Sciences in 1983.Yalçın Ayaydın, whose aim was to set up a ‘family clothing and textile company’ where he could use his experience, he founded the İpekyol Clothing Industry in 1986 which has an important place in the Turkish clothing industry.

After İpekyol,in 1997 he formed Twist and in 2004 Machka aiming to become an effective player in the Turkish and global marketing world. After the company merged with the giant Italian clothing company Miroglio under the name of Ayaydın Miroglio Group, he became the chairman of the board.

Yalçın Ayaydın became a member of the management board in the years 2001-2003 at İTKİB and Vice President of Fairs Fashion Brand Young Stylists Promotion Committee .He was the Vice President of İTKİB between 2003 – 2006 and between 2006-2008 President of of the International Fairs Publicity Committee. Between 2003-2004 he also ran The Society of United Brands.

AZMI SARIBAY

Azmi Sarıbay was born in Hatay in 1952. He graduated from Marmara University, Academy of Economics and Administrative School of Business in 1975. He worked for the Ministery of Customs and Excise between 1976 – 1977 and during the year 1979-1985 he worked as an executive manager for ÜSTAY Construction. He founded Turkey’s the first franchising estate agent , TURYAP, and became the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Azmi Sarıbay has been the member of İstanbul Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the Committee of Real Estate Services for the last 5 years. He is also one of the fourders of Turkish Franchise Association – UFRAD.

ADNAN AKDEMIR

He is the third generation entrepreneur in his family in entertainment business. After graduating Istanbul Technical University, Management Engineering and MBA at National University Los Angeles, he attended UCLA Film School. In 1993, after his return home, He has founded AFM Cinemas which has become the leader cinema operator in Turkey. He has introduced the luxury cinema experience to Turkey, resulting rapid national growth in 90’s as the market maker. In 2000, He has completed the first Private Equity deal ever that was done in Turkey with largest US insurance company AIG’ s Blue Voyage Fund. In 2001, He has co-founded If Istanbul “Independent” film festival to rejuvenate the film production industry as a prestigious international event. In 2004, He has completed the IPO of AFM Cinemas as the first entertainment company in Istanbul Stock Exchange. He has co-founded the first Turkish film distribution company, Kenda, with top Turkish producers, to support development of local productions. Kenda became the main driver behind %50 market share of local content in Turkish cinema within 3 years.

He has sold the majority of AFM Cinemas to Russia’s largest group Alfa, eventually, exiting AFM at $118M MCap. Adnan has become the CEO of the acquirer and established Eurasia Cinemas. Eurasia Cinemas, in its third year has grown to 305 multiplex screens to become the leading cinema chain in Russia-Ukraine-Turkey region. Adnan exited his cinema ventures in 2012 to focus on his family entertainment business. He currently serves in several non-profit organizations.

He is the co-founder of Turkish Business Angels Association and Cinema Owners Association, also active member of Young Presidents Organization. In 2012, Adnan has received a Red Cross Golden Mercy Medal for his life time contributions.

DOGAN TASKENT

Engineering in 1993, Mr. Taskent joined Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Polytechnic Institute of New York University for the PhD program and received graduate degrees in Electrophysics and Technology MBA.

During 1998-2005, he worked as a R&D engineer, expert consultant and instructor at Lucent Technologies Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. During that timeframe he lead major fiberoptic transmission system deployments for Verizon, BT, Telia, Deutsche Telekom, Global Crossing, Qwest, and UPC around the globe. Furthermore, he has consulted in the areas of Knowledge Management, Competency Management and Telecommunications Technologies as part of Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS) in New York

Since 2006, as Partner of Arkan & Ergin Corporate Finance, he has been working in telecommunications, renewable energy, and in startup ecosystem as company restructuring advisor in Turkey. He has presented over 50 seminars (major universities and multinational corporations) the Turkish Startup Ecosystem and the Growth of Entrepreneurship in Turkey. He has served as jury on 20+ business plan competitions and helped professionally to establish over 100 startups. He is the founding President of MIT Enterprise Forum in Turkey and an active member at the Advisory Board of the Endeavor Turkey.

Since 2012, Doğan Taşkent is the Chairman of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Turkey and Vice President of the Turkish–Swiss Business Council of DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board). He is founding Board member of the Ege University Technopark and founding Board Member of the Dokuz Eylül University Business Angel Network.

FUAT SAMI

Fuat Sami spent his early years in Turkey until high school. He attented high school at Eton College, one of the most prestigious schools in the world and later on he graduated from Imperial College and Imperial Tanaka Business School’s MBA program, respectively. After earning his Master’s degree, he had experiences in the pharmaceutical sector and after his final return to Turkey he worked in an international management consultancy company – Booz Allen Hamilton. Mr. Sami worked as a consultant, senior consultant and project manager for Booz Allen Hamilton and its local arm Helix Management Consultants for four years. He carried out projects in different geographical areas such as Europe, Middle East and Turkey and led business strategy, restructuring, organizational design and sales optimization projects for local and international companies. Mr. Sami also led several due-diligence projects for M&A activities and privatization of high-profile Turkish companies.

In 2007, after many years of management consulting experience, Fuat Sami founded LabX Business Angels and currently holds the position of general manager. LabX is Turkey’s first private business incubator backed up by a business angel network and forms a basis for entrepreneurs and business angels to meet and launch innovative business initiatives. Mr. Sami is an active business angel and serves on the boards of 8 different companies ranging from mobile technologies, internet, retail, food to the R&D Health sectors.

ASLI ISINAK GOZOREN

Ms. Gozoren comes to Keiretsu Forum Istanbul Chapter with over 15 years of international experience in corporate finance, project management and business/financial analysis with projects ranging in various industries targeting small to medium sized companies. Her experience and energy is dedicated towards the members of the Forum and establishing a platform for high growth potential early stage investment.

Prior to joining Keiretsu Forum, she helped start up the Corporate Finance division of Grant Thornton Turkey where she was involved in several high profile M&A and company valuation projects including the fairness opinion for Finansbank’s international subsidiaries proior to the respective sale to National Bank of Greece as well as leading the valuation of Ihlas Sigorta for the sale to German based HDI International Holding. Ms. Gozoren has also consulted alongside UBS on the successful completion of the pre-IPO placement of UniCredit London in a leading Turkish automotive supplier parts company. Her Corporate Finance experience ranges across all industries.

Ms. Gozoren’s extensive international professional experience includes working in Toronto Canada at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and in Boston USA at Fidelity Investments, among the largest asset management firms worldwide. She was a key player during the business/IT integration project in the acquisition of Merrill Lynch Canadian Asset Management business by CIBC; transaction price of $630 million USD.

Ms. Gozoren is a graduate from Northeastern University in Boston with an International Business and Management degree in Business Administration and lives in Istanbul with her husband and daughter.

PROF BAHADIR ERDEM

Prof. Dr. B. Bahadır Erdem gives lecturers on private international law, conflict of laws, international civil litigation, international intellectual and industrial property law, nationality law and foreigners’ law at the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Political Sciences of University of Istanbul for the candidates of bachelors, master and PhD degrees.

Prof. Dr. B. Bahadır Erdem graduated from University of Istanbul Faculty of Law in 1987. In 1989 he began to working life as a research assistant at the University of Istanbul, Faculty of law, Private International Law Department. In 1992 by publishing his first book named “Türk Milletlerarası Usul Hukukunda Tebligat “ he was granted with a Master degree from University of Istanbul Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Private Law. In 1998 he was granted with a PhD degree by writing the thesis named “Patent Hakkının Korunmasına ve Patent Hakkına İlişkin Sözleşmelere Uygulanacak Hukuk”from the University of Istanbul Institute of Social Sciences Department of Private Law. In 2000 Prof. Erdem was appointed to University of Istanbul Faculty of Law Private International Law Department as an Assistant Professor. Four years later by writing the book named “Fikri Hukukta Türk Mahkemelerinin Milletlerarası Yetkisi” he was appointed to the same Law Department as an Associate Professor in 2004. Afterwards Prof. Erdem was appointed to University of Istanbul Faculty of Law Private International Law Department as a Professor upon his book Turkish Citizenship Law in 2009.

Prof. Dr. B. Bahadır Erdem has published seven books as “Notification in Turkish International Civil Procedural Law” and ”Law Applicable to Protection of Patent Rights and to Contracts Concerning Patent Rights” which was first published in 1999, “International Jurisdiction of Turkish Courts in International Intellectual Property Law” which was the first book on the Jurisdiction of Intellectual Property Law, “Private International law” written with Prof. Dr. Aysel Çelikel, “Bilateral and Multilateral Conventions on Private International Law” (Two Volumes) and “Code on Private International and International Procedural Law Nr.5718 Dated 27.11.2007 with Prof. Dr. Günseli Öztekin and lastly “Turkish Citizenship Law”.

Prof.Dr. Bahadır Erdem has published several articles in Turkish and in English and deliver several lectures in national and also in international symposiums on the areas of his specialization. Prof.Dr. Erdem also acts as a lawyer, legal advisor, mediator and legal expert on the areas of his specialization.

Prof. Dr. B. Bahadır Erdem participated in all the drafting workshops of the Code on Private International and International Procedural Law Nr.5718 Dated 27.11.2007, draw up some of the texts of the Code and took active part as a member of Ministry of Justice Commission on the Code on Private International and International Procedural Law till the Code was passed by the Parliament.

Prof. Dr. B. Bahadır Erdem was the academic member of the Board of Editors of Turkish Patent Institute as representing Turkish Universities between 2004 and 2010, has been a member of Board of Editors of University of Istanbul Faculty of Law since 2001, has been a member of Board of Editors of Human Rights Research Centre at Istanbul University since 2004 and has been a member of the Board of Editors of Family Law Association since 2008 as well as being the vice president of Family Law Association.

Bahadır Erdem, founded Erdem&Erdem Law Office in 2000. As a founder, he worked with his partners and expert lawyers in the field of Private International Law, Conflict of Laws, International Arbitration, International Commercial Contracts, International Intellectual Property Law, Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral and Court Awards, Conflicts on International Child Abduction , Investment Disputes, Foreign Direct Investment, Nationality law and law of foreigners’.